The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-03-24
Views of Senator Hale.


WHAT THE RECORD or CONGRESS >iIoN $
MIR. HLAlNE'> STRENGTH.
Senator Eu@enc Hale was in New York last
week on his way home and when asked hv Il
Tribune reporter about the general result Of
the session of Congress he said:
"There are two things that have been shown
very clearly and stand out distinctly above
everything" else. Those are the utter lack of
| administrative and legislative faculty on the
part Of the Democratic party in the first place.
and. secondly. the unpatriotc attitude Of the
Democratic party. They entirely failed in
every thing relating to fiscal and financial leg>-
laton. Everybody in the country knows
that 10 be the fact. but it could be seen in
Washington even more plainly than elsewhere.
There was no cohesion in the party. The Adj
mln>tratlon had no plans or policy of any
kind The leaders in the house had no plans
that they We're waited on. The leaders of the
Senate We're equally without plans. There was
nothing that even looked like united action be-
tween the leaders of these several parts of the
Democratic organization. They did not agree
OH the tariff nor OH silver. nor upon the treat
mcnt OF the surplus nor upon any method of
distribution OF surplus by appropriations
among the people.
The Administration recommended VERY lit
tie for the consideration of Congress. 1t was
apparently given over TO the consideration of
small thugs. petty details and minor matters.
letting the large affairs of government 20. 1t
appeared to have no grasp of the broad quc>-
tons of craftsmanship. Whenever it made
recommendations. it was >nubbed both in the
House and the Senate by the Democratic mem
bcrS. This was true on every Treasure of leg
i>lation affecting the business of the country.
When we come to the other subject, the I'M
patriotic attitude of the party was displayed bv
the entire Indifference to every measure that
affected the National defence and security. On
those measures it was in pronounced hos
tlity. The President recommended nothing
to put the country in condition of safety
either in respect to the naval establishment
or for harbor defence> or for coast fortiti-
| cations The House put the veto on every
thing attempted in this direction The sin
gular spectacle was presented of the minority
that Is. the opposition, and not the Admins
tration-prc>enting and framing and passing
through the Republican Senate all the measures
that tended to National security and defence.
This was all the more significant because the
moneys appropriated by such legislation We're
lodged in the hands of the Democratic Admin
i>tration for expenditure and the moneys would
have been expended by the Democrats; vet the
bills failed to become laws because of the oppo-
sition of the Administration and its adhcrent>
in the two branches of Congress. | expect
especially this unpatriotic attitude of the Dem
ocratic party and its Indifference to National
security and National honor will become
thoroughly understood by the people during
the next year and will become Il prominent
feature for discussion in the next Presidential
election. There is very little hopefulne>> in
the minds of the Democratic leaders in Com
gress as to the future. They have very little
confidence in the Administrations
''llow about the Presidency: Whom will
! the Democrats nomnate:'
81 think they are likely to rcnominatc MIR.
Cleveland. If he has New York earnestly for
him in the convention that will settle it,
''ls not that likely to bring on the old fight
again between Mr.. Blaine and Ccvcland?'
so far as the Republican nomination is con-
cerned. if the convention should meet to-day
nobody would be much talked of or discussed
for the nomination except Mr.. Blaine. lie has
lost nothing in the two years since his defeat
in his retirement, which has been honorable.
and dgnitied, but has gained in public conf
dence. Personally he is not thinking about the
subject and has no desire to become again Il
candidate. If he is candidate it will be be-
cause he cannot help it and because the people
and his party are bound to make the fight again
with him as the leader"